


Blind Man's Buff

by Pastel__Vagabond



Series: Period Piece Monsters [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Period Piece, Regency Era, Teratophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-20 09:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16134221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pastel__Vagabond/pseuds/Pastel__Vagabond
Summary: A charming wanderer quite literally falls into a game with a young swain.





	Blind Man's Buff

The rain was coming down in sheets by the time he made it to the house on the hill, with it’s warm glow and joyous music pouring out of every window. A storm was coming on the wind, he could smell it, and he didn’t want to be caught out in it. The town’s inn had been full up, it seemed he wasn’t the only traveler passing through at the time.

Though the innkeeper had directed him to a large house on the hill not far away, and told him that his best chance was to ask to stay the night there. The owners were apparently kind and very hospitable, if a bit eccentric. They may have a room for him.

So off he had gone back into the rain, trudging up the hill towards the house. When he reached the door, he knocked, stood back, and waited. It wasn’t long before it swung open, revealing an impossibly tall woman in a smart blue waistcoat. Her face was veiled up to her eyes which seemed to have been splintered across her face.

“Good evening,” taking off his hat, he bowed politely, “I would hate to be an imposition to your household, Madame, but I was told perhaps there might be lodging here. The inn is full, you see-”

“Oh dear, you must be soaked through, poor boy,” the woman interrupted, “Of course, of course, do come in.”

Taken aback for a moment by the unquestioned welcome, he stepped inside, watching out of the corner of his eye as she bustled about, speaking in hushed voices to someone behind a large adjoining door.

“Where do you come from?” she asked, returning with an attendant, “We’ve been expecting this storm for quite a while, you know. You must have just arrived.”

“I come from many places.” he answered, shrugging off his soaked coat and handing it to the attendant, “Just recently though, I’ve come from Port Tetchalet.”

He didn’t miss the small smile and twinkle in her broken eyes as looked him over.

“Do you have a name then, traveler?”

“Indeed Madame. I am called Knauk.”  

She blinked for a moment, before breaking into bright peels of laughter. Knauk couldn’t help but roll his eyes. This wasn’t the first time he’d inspired such laughter. Soon though, the lady had composed herself and was smiling brightly down at him.

“Well Knauk, I am Madame Louisa. Welcome to my home. I suspect you will be wanting to rest immediately? It is not an easy journey from Port Tetchalet.”

Unable to shake the suspicion of the lady’s seemingly absolute welcome of a complete stranger, he asked;

“Madame, I am greatly appreciative of your welcome, but I’m a stranger here.”

As he spoke, Louisa’s smile turned sharp and knowing and she led him towards the door she had spoken to the attendant through.

“It is not that I trust you, sir. Just that I am not worried about you assaulting me or my other guests.”

And with that, she opened the door. Knauk froze, eyes widening at the sight before him; an immense ballroom whose occupants looked as though they would be just as comfortable bathing in the blood of the innocent as they were in their beautiful gowns and waistcoats, twirling across the room and laughing brightly in darkened corners.

Claws and talons, fangs and great antlers and strange masks. These were the uncommon elite, gathered together in a number Knauk had not witnessed before. There were humans among the ensemble as well, though they seemed to find their companions none the stranger.

Rather, it seemed like Knauk was the one out of place, as eyes turned to look at the stranger the Madame had brought in.

“ _Oh…I-_  I do hope I haven’t interrupted anything.”

“Not at all,” there was a sly grin on her face as she spoke, “Just a little party my clan and I are holding. Truth be told, we hold far too many but this town can get so drab.”

Knauk had to smile at that, he knew how little towns could get. Stifling and suspicious of everyone and everything.

“Come, I will show you to the guest room.”

He followed along behind her, and around them the music continued to swirl and the guests went back to their dancing and games, and Knauk went unnoticed again, to his relief. He couldn’t help letting his eyes drift across the room, taking in all the splendor and beauty of both the guests and the room.

Lovers whispered together in darkened corners, hissing what Knauk assumed were sweet words; he couldn’t understand them. There were games being played as well. Not far away, a circle of laughing creatures stood around someone wearing a blindfold who fumbled after them.

It looked like a splendid time. It wasn’t often that he got to see enjoyment like this.

That is, until someone knocked into him, sending him stumbling across the room and crashing to the floor. With a hiss and a glare, he pushed himself up, brushing at his clothes and glaring into the crowd.

“ _Honestly_ , of all the rude-”

He was interrupted without warning by hands grabbing his shoulders tightly, spinning him around so he was face to face with….well _something._

A young… _man?_  whose dark hair was tied into a neat ponytail and wore a blindfold over what looked like a pair of wings which took up most of his face. His mouth was filled with sharp teeth poking out between red lips and the hands which held him were large and taloned.

Despite his immediate alarming appearance, his lips were curled into a bright smile and he barked out a laugh, moving his hands to inspect Knauk’s face gently.

“Who have I gotten this time?” his voice rang with laughter, hands gently brushing over his eyes and lips. Knauk stood frozen, listening to the furious giggling from the rest of the circle around them.

After a few moments of inspecting his face through gentle petting, Knauk watched him scowl playfully, one hand still holding his face as the other went to lift the blindfold.

“Well if you won’t tell me, I’ll just have to look.”  

As soon as the cloth was off, the small wings flew open revealing a multitude of startling blue eyes which all  blinked owlishly down at Knauk, bright smile slipping into a look of confusion. The two stood staring, as around them the others in the circle giggled mercilessly.

_“Who are you?”_  he asked, his voice no longer laughing but breathless.

Knauk was shaken from his daze as Madame Louisa’s voice rose behind him.

“Fortinbras! Take your hands off him immediately! I’ll not have you accosting my guests, keep that kind of nonsense amongst yourselves.”

After a moment, Knauk smiled, small and sly as he watched this Fortinbras look from him to Louisa, mouth opening and shutting noiselessly, desperately trying to find words. His hand still held Knauk’s face, and as it looked like he was still trying to understand what was happening, Knauk simply took a step back, letting the hand slip from his cheek.

“There’s been no harm done, Madame,” he said with a laugh, “I seemed to have accidentally fallen into the game, is all. My apologies.”

He directed a small, quick bow to the circle, his smile sharpening as more giggling and whispering surrounded him. Then he looked back to Madame Louisa, who had only just turned from glaring at the young Fortinbras, and was now smirking down at him.

“Quite. Shall we?”

They continued across the hall and through the large doors that led into another hallway with a set of stairs. He didn’t need to look back to know that there were still eyes watching him, and he felt a weight lift as the doors shut, muffling the continued music.

“You let me know if that young fool gives you any trouble. He’s known for it.”

“I’m sure I shan’t be staying long enough to get into any trouble, Madame. Just until the storm passes.”

“Of course.” she said, but there was laughter in her voice and a hint of disbelief. Knauk set that thought aside. He could feel his bones beginning to ache with exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to sleep in a warm bed. He would leave thinking for tomorrow.

* * *

Back in the hall, the young Fortinbras stood brooding, mind stuck on the scruffy little stranger who had tripped into their game. He would admit, he had been charmed by the strangers sly smile and cultured speech and he was itching to get another look at him.

As his friends tittered, gossiped, and theorized about the strangers origins beside him, Fortinbras hummed to himself. The stranger had gone off with the Madame, so there was no chance at a meeting tonight, lest he finally be turned out of the house.

But there  _was_ possibility, nay,  _the promise_ …of tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my writing blog on tumblr for more like this @sir-degare!


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